GRIB Explorer
Weather Explorer Series

GRIB Explorer offers unprecedented access to the power of GRIB data. GRIB, short for GRIdded Binary, data is a unique form of weather and ocean data previously the exclusive province of ocean racers, shipping lines, and routing companies running sophisticated and expensive software packages. With a simple interface linked to the streamlined data access engine of WeatherNet, GRIB Explorer levels the playing field. Now any mariner, from day sailors to coastal cruisers and fishermen, can acquire and put to use the weather and ocean insights offered by GRIB data.

Software can be run 10 times as a demo before requiring registration.

Why GRIB Data?

GRIB data is special because of its size, content, and versatility. The data are generated by massive computes running global models of the atmosphere and oceans. The output associates individual weather data points with geographic positions. Because the resulting file consists of just a collection of these points they are extremely small and thus readily transferred over satellite phones, SSB, or even cell phones. On land they can be downloaded from the Internet as well. Almost every conceivable type of weather and ocean data are available in GRIB format. Surface pressure, wind, waves, swell, cloud cover, precipitation, sea temperature, currents are available, and besides these computer projections you can even receive the new (experimental) Quick Scat radar measurements of actual wind fields in GRIB format. In many cases, spatial resolutions reach as low as to 0.1 degree lat/lon and are available on a global basis. Lastly, the weather variables are forecasted out to 120 hours and longer so it is possible to see the model predictions several days in advance.

Unfortunately, the display of GRIB data has been a big problem, which is the main reason it has not been used widely before Grib Explorer. GRIB data files are not the standard graphics or text files we are used to when working with weather data. Subsequently, the vast majority of graphics and navigation packages on the market cannot even open GRIB files, let alone display or make use of them. As such, only a select set of highly-specialized and usually quite expensive navigation packages have been able to display and use GRIB data.

Life is different now!

GRIB Explorer solves this historic presentation problem. With a simple, easy-to-use graphical user interface, GRIB Explorer places the power of GRIB data at your fingertips. Double-click on the GRIB file you have downloaded and it will instantly display your data in a very dynamic graphical format. The display can easily be changed to show contours lines, color filled contours, arrows or wind barbs, and even data point values. All of this allows relevant weather or ocean features to become much more evident.

How do I access GRIB data?

Being able to use GRIB Explorer to explore the power of GRIB data is pointless without a means of easily obtaining your GRIB data while underway. Fortunately, there is a related program called WeatherNet that offers today’s definitive weather data delivery system, that can be automatically accessed from Grib Explorer. With over 20,000 GRIB files, WeatherNet carries the world’s largest collection of GRIB weather and ocean data. Not only is the collection huge, but the WeatherNet delivery service drops those files onto your computer just seconds after your request through any wireless device or Internet connection. Upon closing WeatherNet’s File Transfer screen, GRIB Explorer launches immediately and begins to process and display your downloaded GRIB data. If you’ve downloaded a point forecast for a given GRIB variable, that file is displayed by itself. But if you’ve downloaded a series of forecasts, say from the analysis of present conditions out to 120 hours, GRIB Explorer kicks into animation mode automatically to put the weather in motion like you’ve never seen before.

A common application is to download wind and pressure and then display them simultaneously. This can then be compared to a surface analysis or forecast map produced by meteorologists at the NWS or their counterparts around the world. One value of the GRIB data is it available every hour, and is in much more detail than presented in typical weather maps, which are only available every 6 or 12 hours, and often have little information just where you happen to be or want to go. When the GRIB data checks out with the forecast map, you are prepared to make very specific routing decisions, in an extremely convenient manner.

GRIB Explorer places you at the cutting edge of weather information processing. Buy it now and start taking part in the state of the art method for collecting and presenting weather and ocean data needed for the critical decisions affecting your navigation and route planning.

The route tool shown on the left, lets you lay out a route and display any variable you choose along that route (wind speed, current direction, wave height, surface temperature, etc).